Putting a cover over existing manure lagoons can capture methane and create carbon credits, which farms will be able to sell. The cost of such a cover is prohibitive, however, although nowhere near the cost of a system that turns methane into electricity. The USDA has entered into an agreement with Dairy Management Inc. to encourage digesters, but observers say a carbon price of 25 cents per ton will not get the job done.
Saving the planet with a money pit
Thanks to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the USDA and Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), the cow is being asked to help solve the world's latest perceived imminent catastrophe - greenhouse gas emissions. Click here for full story.Corn growers top the state in the National Corn Yield Contest
This year proved to be a record-setter in many aspects for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Corn Yield Contest. In a year beset with weather problems and late harvest, corn growers shattered records with a total of 6,960 entries from across the United States. Click here for full story.Ag Committee leader known as friend
Unlike many politicians, Mike Simpson made sense to people. Maybe it was because he continually looked for sense in the issues he dealt with, and maybe it was because he understood that public service meant being a servant. Above all, it was because he was a friend. Click here for full story.